By JoAnne Young
It’s the first year of a new generation and, baby, they are being born into some crazy times. Babies born in 2025 are the first official members of Generation Beta that will last until 2039. Their parents are younger Millennials and Gen Zs. Generation Beta isn’t much of a creative handle, so maybe as they age they’ll rename ... Gen AI. Generation Eco. Gen Really?
I’m hoping by the time this new generation gets to school, this country and world will be settling down and out from under the influence of the crazy politics we are living through now. No guarantees though. It could get worse before it gets better. By the time they take American History in school, I hope it will be imparted truthfully, and by the time they take science classes, that it’s still part of the curriculum.
Betas’ education could be highly personalized by AI, and augmented virtually, but that will have its pros and cons. They will be able to do amazing research and see the world virtually, with tours of world-renowned museums, historical sites, natural wonders and space. That’s not a substitute for in person viewing, but better than just photos in a book.
Keep in mind, though, the generations that preceded the Betas have an obligation to teach them, to love them, protect and provide.
Gen Alpha knows its way around technology, but the Beta Babies (and their parents) will have to wrestle with that growing influence of artificial intelligence. Some of the tech products that are becoming must-haves for infants and children include:
*The Owlet Dream Sock that monitors Baby’s pulse rate and oxygen levels in real time.
*AI that monitors Baby’s breathing with a camera.
*ieGeek Baby Monitor with Night Vision that will babysit, detecting every cry and motion, allowing parents to talk to the little one from another room, and doing a constant check on the temperature and humidity surrounding the little one.
*A robo Bakebot that will mix ingredients and spit out scratch-made chocolate chippers or whatever cookie the heart desires.
*Alexa and other AI companions that can engage school age kids with interactive conversations, fun facts, games and songs. And they almost never get tired of answering those “why” questions, or the really silly ones.
Who knows what’s next (well, someone does, but it’s not me)? I can speculate, though. Will self-driving cars take these Betas to school and play dates? Will technology allow parents to know where the kids are at all times, even when they don’t want to be located? Will medical research and artificially grown organs keep them healthy and active for at least 100 years?
All this innovation in science and engineering comes with caveats. The father of my Gen Alpha grandchildren, Adam, is a coder, programmer, and knows his way around the cyber world. He cares about how these kids will live, what jobs they’ll have, and what will matter most to them. He has helped build the technology that is used daily and that runs our society. What advice would he give to the Betas? For one thing, he said, staying glued to a screen, doesn’t help anyone grow.
“Your job is to understand how it works,” he said to the Betas, “and then learn how to step outside of it when you need to (and you need to) ... disengage with the algorithms.”
He recommends spending time in nature, hanging out where there’s no internet signal or screens. “Let the real world be your main source of clear, honest information. Explore art and objects you can touch, hold, or make a mess with. Talk to people face-to-face whenever you can.”
That can help us all understand others better and remind us what it means to be human.
Technology moves fast, but the society that surrounds it moves more slowly. “Use what you know about how quickly things can improve to challenge the old, slow rules (the rest of us) always had to follow.” Build something real in the world, for others, and to help you live your best life.
Switching from hardware to the coding that operates each of us from the inside, I will mention a man who turned 88 the year the Betas began their journey. His name is Ernie Chambers and he is a lawmaker and a man of many words. I wish this generation could hear more of his words about how to live freely and justly in this world, but I will share some of what he’s had to say about love and relationships, from when he presided at a wedding in 2020.
Relationships, he said, must be consciously and deliberately worked on each day. As much effort must be put into nurturing them as is exerted by elite athletes, top-flight lawyers and consummate musicians in keeping their skills sharp. They cannot be permitted to drift aimlessly, unattended to.
When it comes to true love, its course never runs in a straight line, even under the best circumstances. Nature abhors a straight line. In music, it is a boring monotone. On a heart monitor, it means the show is over, he explained.
Perfect love casts out not only fear, but jealousy, doubt and distrust. Aim for perfect with that daily effort and attention. And keep in mind that relationships require a magical and enduring combination of heart and mind - so that when the heart, that organ of romance, whimsy, impracticality and emotion - falls into one of its unpredictable moods and goes absent, the mind comes into play and asserts its wisdom, practicality and stabilizing influence. It saves the day by holding the fort until the heart regains its balance and love flows again.
Local historian Jim McKee offered the advice he would give to his as-yet-unborn eighth great-grandchild: Accept and embrace change. It is constant, mutable and not dissuaded.
Redefine compromise. It has become a negative and yet makes all things possible.
Work in every small way to slow climate change. If we can’t accomplish that, everything else is unimportant.
Here’s a sampling of other advice from family, friends and experienced others.
* Practice courage doing something scary but not dangerous, says theologian Barbara Brown Taylor. The places you least want to go may have the richest treasures.
* Author Mary Pipher advises: Have mercy on your parents. Play outside. Read books. Be kind to everyone. Musician Jim Pipher says he spent a lot of time in middle and high school dreaming of being in the NBA, shooting baskets, driving around and honking
* My son, father of two younger Gen Zs, said: “Optimism is your friend. It can disappoint, but it is better than the alternative.” And know that anger is the punishment you give yourself for someone else’s behavior.
* My daughter advised: “Seeing and getting to know people on a personal level breaks down fear and prejudice.” So have lots of different kinds of people in your life. Different races, different cultures, different abilities, ages, identities. “It’s all enriching.”
Others added:
* Learn that life is so much more gray than black and white. Lifetime friends can be on opposite sides of issues.
* Pay close attention to what is going on around you. It’s the best education.
* Be an independent thinker. Figure out how to verify what is offered as truth and share it.
* Elect a president who will give you a list of their favorite movies and books at the end of each year, even after leaving office. A president who believes in people -- all genders, cultures, races and sexual orientations -- in a most civil way. Who respects the Constitution, inspires hope and advocates for what is best for the people of our country.
* Learn self discipline, self sufficiency and accountability. Focus on your strengths, what you can do, not what you can’t.
* Follow your curiosity. Curiosity is your friend, a gentle, forgiving and constant one, says author Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s a hummingbird, going here and there, flower to flower, gathering and pollinating.
* Keep the faith. Never, ever give up, McKee adds. It is all up to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We appreciate your comments very much. And we want to encourage you to enter your name in the field provided when you comment, otherwise you remain anonymous. That is entirely your right to do that, of course. But, we really enjoy hearing from our friends and readers, and we'd love to be able to provide a personal response. Thank you so much for reading, following, and sharing our posts.